Directed by George Sherman
Starring Joel McCrea, Yvonne De Carlo, Pedro Armendáriz
Kino Lorber has announced Border River (1954) for DVD and Blu-Ray release in March of 2023. This year’s getting off to a pretty good start already, especially for me — I get to do a commentary for it!
This is the next-to-last of Joel McCrea’s six Westerns for Universal International, released from 1950 to 1954. It’s got a great cast, featuring Yvonne De Carlo, Pedro Armendáriz and the wonderful Mexican character actors Alfonso Bedoya and Nacho Galindo. George Wallace, Commando Cody himself, is in it, too.
It’s directed by George Sherman, so you know you’re in for a good ride. Highly recommended!
Archive for the ‘Universal (International)’ Category
DVD/Blu-Ray News #352: Border River (1954).
Posted in 1954, DVD/Blu-Ray News, George Sherman, Joel McCrea, Kino Lorber, Universal (International) on January 1, 2023| 37 Comments »
Blu-Ray News #347: Four Guns To The Border (1954).
Posted in 1954, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Explosive Media, John McIntire, Rory Calhoun, Universal (International), Walter Brennan on September 4, 2022| 6 Comments »
Directed by Richard Carlson
Starring Rory Calhoun, Colleen Miller, George Nader, Walter Brennan, Nina Foch, John McIntire
Four Guns To The Border (1954) is an excellent 50s Western from Universal International. It’s been a hard one to track down, but our friends at Explosive Media are taking care of that.It’s coming to Blu-Ray in December.
This picture gave actor Richard Carlson one of his few directing credits. He does a tremendous job. Wish he’d done more. Four Guns To The Border has a great cast, gorgeous color and will be terrific on Blu-Ray. Can’t wait!
Thanks to John Knight for the tip!
DVD/Blu-Ray News #345: Apache Drums (1951).
Posted in 1951, Coleen Gray, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Explosive Media, Hugo Fregonese, James H. Griffith, Universal (International) on May 5, 2022| 3 Comments »
Directed by Hugo Fregonese
Starring Stephen McNally, Coleen Gray, Willard Parker, Arthur Shields, James Griffith, Armando Silvestre, Georgia Backus, Clarence Muse
Apache Drums (1951) was producer Val Lewton’s last film; he died before its release. Though this was his only Western, and the only time he would produce a Technicolor film, Apache Drums is very much an extension of his earlier work in horror films at RKO. It’s a terrific, but sadly overlooked, 50s Western.
It’s coming to DVD and Blu-Ray in November from Explosive Media. I’m so stoked about this one. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
DVD/Blu-Rays News #344: The Lawless Breed (1953).
Posted in 1953, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Explosive Media, Glenn Strange, John McIntire, Julie Adams, Lee Van Cleef, Raoul Walsh, Rock Hudson, Universal (International) on May 4, 2022| 2 Comments »
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Starring Rock Hudson, Julie Adams, Mary Castle, John McIntire, Hugh O’Brian, Dennis Weaver, Forrest Lewis, Lee Van Cleef, Glenn Strange
Next up from Explosive Media is Raoul Walsh’s The Lawless Breed (1953), coming to DVD and Blu-Ray (region free!) in September.
It’s a pretty inaccurate story of the outlaw John Wesley Hardin, played by Rock Hudson. The manuscript for his autobiography is used to launch the picture as a series of flashbacks.
With Walsh’s typical no-nonsense, propulsive direction, a really strong cast and incredible Technicolor photography from Irving Glassberg (which will really be something to see in high definition), The Lawless Breed plays as a better movie than it actually is. Highly recommended.
DVD/Blu-Ray News #343: Taggart (1964).
Posted in Dan Duryea, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Explosive Media, Gordon Kay, Harry Carey Jr., R.G. Springsteen, Ray Teal, Universal (International) on May 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Directed by R. G. Springsteen
Starring Tony Young, Dan Duryea, Dick Foran, Elsa Cárdenas, Jean Hale, Emile Meyer, David Carradine, Ray Teal, Harry Carey, Jr.
Gordon Kay produced the last batch of Audie Murphy Westerns at Universal International, along with a few other pictures like Taggart (1964). It’s got a great cast, with Dick Foran, Ray Teal and Harry Carey, Jr. supporting Tony Young and the great Dan Duryea. This was David Carradine’s first film. It was based on a Louis L’Amour novel. R. G. Springsteen directed, and he would direct a number of the A.C. Lyles Westerns over at Paramount. These films carried the 50s Western torch into the 60s.
Explosive Media is bringing Taggart to DVD and Blu-Ray in August, part of a summer full of terrific Universal International Westerns. They’ll be Region Free, folks, so order away!
DVD/Blu-Ray News #339: Hell Bent For Leather (1960).
Posted in Audie Murphy, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Explosive Media, Felicia Farr, George Sherman, Gordon Kay, Stephen McNally, Universal (International) on March 26, 2022| 15 Comments »
Directed by George Sherman
Starring Audie Murphy, Felicia Farr, Stephen McNally, Robert Middleton, Jan Merlin
Explosive Media out of Germany has announced another Audie Murphy picture coming to DVD and Blu-Ray in June — George Sherman’s Hell Bent For Leather (1960).
The first of the Audie Murphy pictures produced by Gordon Kay for Universal International, Hell Bent For Leather was directed by George Sherman in CinemaScope and Eastman Color. This one has a good part for Felicia Farr, one of my favorite actresses from 50s Westerns (The Last Wagon, Reprisal!, 3:10 To Yuma), and really incredible Lone Pine location work from Clifford Stine. This is a good one!
I’m so stoked that someone has gotten around to these Gordon Kay Murphy films on Blu-Ray, so a big thanks to the folks at Explosive Media. Highly recommended.
Thanks again to John Knight for the news.
Name That Stock Footage.
Posted in 1954, 1956, George Sherman, Jack Arnold, Rory Calhoun, Universal (International) on October 5, 2021| 4 Comments »
Will Freeman brought this to my attention.
Universal International used this really cool aerial gunfight shot from George Sherman’s Dawn At Socorro (1954) was used in a montage in Jack Arnold’s Red Sundown (1956).
Thanks, Will!
Blu-Ray News #319: Horizons West (1952) And Quantez (1957).
Posted in 1952, 1957, Budd Boetticher, Dorothy Malone, DVD/Blu-Ray News, Fred MacMurray, Harry Keller, James Arness, John McIntire, Julie Adams, Kino Lorber, Robert Ryan, Rock Hudson, Universal (International) on January 21, 2021| 24 Comments »
Quantez (1957)
Directed by Harry Keller
Starring Fred MacMurray, Dorothy Malone, James Barton, Sydney Chaplin, John Gavin, John Larch, Michael Ansara
Just finished recording a commentary for Harry Keller’s Quantez (1957), a film I appreciate more every time I see it. It feels awkward to plug these things when I work on ’em, but this one is something special. The movie is ripe for rediscovery — and I think it’s the best commentary I’ve done.
It’s also a picture with superb art direction and cinematography, so high-definition will be a big plus.
Horizons West (1952)
Directed by Budd Boetticher
Starring Robert Ryan, Julia Adams, Rock Hudson, John McIntire, Raymond Burr, James Arness, Dennis Weaver
Horizons West (1952) has the great cast of contract players — Adams, Hudson, McIntire, Dennis Weaver — and gorgeous Technicolor we expect from Universal International Westerns of the early 50s. It’s a post-Civi War story of Ryan’s ambitions getting the best of him. Budd Boetticher keeps it short on running time and long on action.
The color will make this one really pop on Blu-Ray. I’ll be recording a commentary for it next week. Both pictures are expected in May from Kino Lorber.
There haven’t been many 50s Westerns riding up on DVD or Blu-Ray lately. These will help make up for it.